Trusting
by ladybug1115
Summary: A DannyLindsay fic. Lindsay learns to trust Danny.


**Trusting**

**Author's Note**: This is my first CSI: NY fanfic. I know the characters are OOC. But, otherwise it wouldn't really be a fic, now would it?

**Disclaimer**: I'm not sure who they belong to, but I know it's not me.

_**-CSI:NY-**_

The screaming woke Danny from his deep, relaxing sleep.

He was a city boy and used to loud noises in the middle of the night. After all, New York is the city that never sleeps. But this scream…it made Danny's heart ache. Without thinking, he ran into his living room, gun drawn.

There was only one person in the room; she sat on the sofa shaking and crying. He quietly laid the weapon on the desk and walked over to her.

In his entire life, Danny had never seen someone he wanted to protect more. He knew also that right now the only thing he could do to help was hold her. Whatever had happened had happened a long time ago. So, he did what he wanted an excuse to do for a long time now. He pulled Lindsay into his arms and held her tightly.

"It's okay, Lindsay. Everything is going to be okay. Whatever it is can't hurt you. I'm right here," he murmured into her hair.

Lindsay clung tighter to Danny almost as though she was trying to mold her body to his. Her shaking became less intense and the crying quieted. When she thought she had regained some control, she pulled away. They were coworkers and Lindsay wanted to lessen the embarrassment as much as possible. "I'm sorry," she said.

"What for?" Danny questioned upset by how afraid she still appeared. He watched her wrap her arms around herself.

"Waking you up…crying all over you," she whispered obviously not wanting to think about it.

"It's fine. I would say it happens all the time, but well…usually if someone freaks out I'm already awake…" he tried to joke. "Do you want me to get you something to drink? Eat?"

Lindsay looked up at Danny, finally meeting his eyes for the first time that night. When she had first come into his apartment-because her apartment was being "debugified" (as the super had informed her) and she needed a place to crash-she had been too embarrassed to look at him.

Then she had screamed herself awake from her hell only to open her eyes to his chest. Lindsay was surprised to see he genuinely looked like he cared. About her.

When Lindsay met his eyes Danny saw through the barrier she usually kept up. He saw the hurt child in her eyes. He saw her despair. He wanted to hold her against him again; to protect her from whatever was following her around. Danny wanted to be a guy. However, he knew that Lindsay did not need a guy trying to protect her from this thing. She needed a friend.

Someone who could help her fight off whatever was trying to crush her.

This time thinking clearly, he pulled her to his chest. Danny felt how stiff she was then he felt her relaxing in his arms. "What can I do Lindsay?" he asked.

"Mmphheng…" her reply was muffled by his shirt. It was then Danny realized how they were dressed-or not as the case was. He only had on a t-shirt and his boxers. She had on a tank-top and short sleep shorts. Danny pushed it to the back of his mind. She needed a friend now not a guy.

"I didn't catch that, Montana. You want to communicate with the world ya gotta speak up."

This time a small smile tugged at the corners of her lips, but she still looked so haunted. "I said 'nothing'. Just hold me please," she begged. The request surprised both of them. Danny backed up and landed on the sofa. Lindsay ended up sitting curled up on his lap.

After a few minutes Danny questioned, "Do you want to talk 'bout it?" When there was no reply after a few seconds he looked down at her. Lindsay had fallen back to sleep.

Danny thought about laying her back on the sofa. Instead, he lifted her into his arms and carried her into his bedroom. As he went to lay her down, she woke up slightly. Lindsay pulled Danny into the bed with her.

_**-CSI:NY-**_

_He is going to kill me. I know it. He already killed them…my friends and Sara. He is going to kill me next… _

…_There is blood all over the place. It is all over my hands. I want to get it off! I need to get it off…_

…_It is so dark, too dark. It's too small. The room is too small. I can't breathe! He is going to come back. He'll kill me. I'm going to die today…_

…_The blood. There is so much blood. Will I have that much blood when I die? …_

…_He is going to kill me…_

Lindsay bolted up straight in the bed gasping for air. It was after a few seconds she realized where she was.

Lindsay looked at Danny who was lying comfortably beside her in the bed. She had not woken him this time and was glad. Lindsay lay back down and rolled onto her side. She carefully scooted over in the bed until she lay next to Danny. Lindsay wrapped her arm around his waist.

In his sleep, Danny's arms encircled her body. Her head lay on his arm and Danny's arm wrapped around her slender waist. He held her to him. Comforting her even in sleep. Lindsay did not have the nightmare again that night.

_One Week Later…_

Lindsay woke shaking alone in her bed. She had moved back into her apartment that day. Mac had even let her off early. As she worked at creating dinner, it hit her.

Danny would not be there to hold her when she woke up.

As she thought more about it, Lindsay realized the past two nights she had not had the nightmare. She had started those nights curled up with Danny. As her breathing returned to normal, she decided what she needed to do.

_**-CSI:NY-**_

Danny looked at the clock, just realizing the late hour. He quickly decided he needed to get some sleep and headed toward his bedroom. He stopped as he heard the buzzer to his apartment. Danny thought about ignoring it, but something told him to answer the call. "Yeah," he said into the intercom.

"Can you buzz me in?" Lindsay's shaking voice asked.

Danny immediately did just that and waited in front of his door for her. When he saw her, he saw the same lost child he had seen that first night in his apartment. "You okay?"

Lindsay did not answer him, just slid her arms around his waist and laid her head on his chest. Danny knew what she needed. He backed them both into his apartment, locked the door, and then backed Lindsay into his bedroom.

Danny waited for her to calm down before he spoke, "Do you want to talk about it now?" If Lindsay did not want to talk about it, it would be fine with Danny. But, he knew she would need to tell someone at some point. Danny was very willing to let that person be him.

"He killed my friends and the waitress. I was just a teenager. I was in the bathroom, the entire time," she said in a strange, emotionless voice. She was stating the facts: distancing herself from the situation.

Danny hugged her tighter to his body. "I'm sorry, Lindsay," he whispered into her hair. He wanted to be a guy: to protect her. However, he could not protect her from her past. He could be her friend and help her get through this.

"You didn't do anything. Danny…" she trailed off to gather her courage, "can I stay with you?"

_**-CSI:NY-**_

**Edited: **28 December 2008…ladybug1115


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